Variety field guide
What to expect from Red Burgundy Onion
Red Burgundy is a biennial bulb onion selection grown for fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Red Burgundy is a short-day, open-pollinated onion with rich burgundy skins and crisp white flesh ringed with pink-purple. Its mild, sweet bite adds color to salads, sandwiches and fresh salsa, and mellows when cooked. Best suited to Southern gardens and regions with mild winters, it begins forming bulbs with about 10–12 hours of daylight. Establish healthy, leafy plants before bulbing begins for a good-sized harvest.
About Red Burgundy
Red Burgundy is a biennial selection of bulb onion, with an upright/erect habit and an expected height or spread of 13–18 in. It is best suited to fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving. Notable traits include red coloring; harvest leaves, shafts, or bulbs at the stage named on the product page; savory allium flavor ranging from mild green leaves to mature bulbs.
Keep field notes on Red Burgundy so its performance can be compared with other bulb onion selections under the same planting date and care.
History and provenance
Allium crops have been selected across Eurasia for leaves, shafts, bulbs, storage, color, and response to day length. A cultivar name does not override day-length adaptation, and bunching onions, bulb onions, leeks, and chives should not be treated as interchangeable species. Red Burgundy belongs to a plant lineage long associated with Mediterranean and Old World garden agriculture. It was selected over generations for kitchen, market, ornamental, or herbal value and remains useful in modern home gardens. Red Burgundy is a short-day variety: bulb formation begins at about 10–12 hours of daylight. Matching its day-length response to local planting dates is essential; it is best adapted to Southern growing regions.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Allium cepa L. |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Day-length type | Short-day; bulbs form at about 10–12 hours of daylight |
| Maturity | 110-119 Days |
| Germination | 7-14 Days at 50–65 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Plant height / spread | 13–18 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 4 in between plants; 12 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Red Burgundy from seed
Sow 1/4 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 7-14 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 50–65 °F. Germination preparation: Start in clean seed-starting mix when season length requires it, then transplant at a sturdy but not root-bound stage. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/4 in. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
In mild-winter regions, sow in fall for spring bulbs, following local planting dates. Where winters are colder, start indoors 8–10 weeks before local transplant time and set hardened-off plants out early in spring. Short-day onions can begin bulbing before they develop enough leaves in northern gardens, producing smaller bulbs; they can also be harvested young as green onions. Provide full sun, well-drained loamy soil with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and steady moisture. Space plants 4 in apart with 12 in between rows. Keep weeds down and avoid waterlogged soil. Containers need good drainage and enough space to maintain the same plant spacing.
Harvest and use
Approximately 110-119 Days, from transplanting to market-size bulbs under the proper day length. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest leaves, shafts, or bulbs at the stage named on the product page. Uses: Fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving. Flavor: savory allium flavor ranging from mild green leaves to mature bulbs. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated Allium. Best uses include fresh allium flavor, kitchen gardens, succession planting, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: savory allium flavor ranging from mild green leaves to mature bulbs.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Red Burgundy plants that match the expected upright/erect habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated Allium. Compatible cultivars of the same species can cross while flowering. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Red Burgundy is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Damping-off, aphids, slugs, caterpillars, leaf spots, root rots, and stress-related bolting or poor establishment. Management: Start with clean seed and mix, match temperature to the crop, avoid overwatering, provide airflow, scout regularly, and rotate families. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Red Burgundy
Is Red Burgundy a short-day onion? Yes. It begins forming bulbs at about 10–12 hours of daylight and is best suited to Southern gardens. This refers to the daylight that triggers bulbing; the plants still need full sun.
When is Red Burgundy ready? Use 110-119 Days. Approximately 110-119 Days, from transplanting to market-size bulbs under the proper day length. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 7-14 Days at about 50–65 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 13–18 in with an upright/erect habit. Space plants 4 in apart and rows 12 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated Allium. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
